Business Travel Upswing Predicted

A news release said that by the end of 2011, 80% of business travelers surveyed predict they will take more or the same number of business trips than they did in 2010, with a similar number (79%) of respondents indicating that they will also spend more or the same.

“The travel industry was not immune to the economic slowdown, but the confidence demonstrated by business travelers who responded to our survey suggests a brighter outlook for the industry as a whole,” said Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman and tourism, hospitality and leisure sector leader, Deloitte LLP, in the news release.

Due to the recession, 72% of survey respondents had monitored their business travel expenses in various ways this past year. In particular, business travelers said they had cut back on overall travel costs (37%), reduced the duration of their trips (33%), or spent less on food/restaurants (32%). More than one in five (21%) booked less expensive hotel rooms.

Additionally, nearly three out of five (59%) respondents whose companies had corporate travel policies felt the guidelines were now more strictly enforced. Among the top five guidelines noted by respondents, pre-trip approval for business travel (50%) was the top company guideline mentioned. Among guidelines related to hotels, 42% of business travelers said their company guidelines currently covered booking accommodations in advance, and 32% said the guidelines gave dollar spending limits for accommodations.

Roughly two-thirds of respondents said they often work in their room (68%) and they also expect a lot more from a hotel than just a clean room and comfortable bed (65%). Further, almost four out of five respondents felt that high-speed Internet (79%) and free parking (77%) were important amenities to them when staying at a hotel for business

The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted online by an independent research company between September 10 and September 14, 2010. The survey polled a nationally representative sample of 1,001 business travelers.